How lifting, twisting, and balancing can get you farther, faster, in tri.

by Jordan Blanco

I was recently scrolling through Instagram and spotted a series of Insta-stories by professional triathlete, Meredith Kessler, sharing the finer details of her strength and conditioning program. Her stories documented gym moves that ranged from mobility and flexibility to strength and power, commenting on the critical role the sessions play in her overall training program.

Strength plays a key role in endurance training. Gym work helps maintain muscular balance and function as well as postural control. It also helps increase muscle recruitment (putting your strength to work) and reduce overuse injuries.

As an amateur triathlete who is more time-starved than a professional athlete, it might be tempting to put strength training on the back burner. However, a strength and conditioning regime should not be viewed as "optional filler" that you include when time permits. It’s as integral to the plan as any swim, bike, or run session.

I caught up with three professional triathletes to understand their approach to strength training, why they take each session as seriously as a swim, bike or run workout, and why you should too.

Is strength a priority?

It’s clear that strength training is central to Kessler's overall training routine. While strength work has always been part of her program, she says that she has "upped her game" as she has matured in the sport.

"I will forgo other swim-bike-run sessions to make sure that the strength sessions take priority in my weekly repertoire," she says. She has learned over time that by keeping her body strong and balanced, it will aid her resilience at the end of a triathlon event.

IRONMAN triathlete Justin Metzler is newer than Kessler to the professional circuit but has been incorporating strength sessions into his training for several years. He says gym work is a massive component of his overall program, adding that he's in the gym three times a week—including race weeks. Coached by Julie Dibens, Metzler says that there is "the same amount of emphasis and value on strength training as swim, bike and run sessions."

American triathlete, Chelsea Sodaro is new to triathlon and began working with her coach, IRONMANU Master Coach Matt Dixon, last year and the two agreed that strength training needed to be a priority and properly integrated into her training. "It's not an afterthought, or something that I just add in when I feel like I have the energy," says Sodaro.

Serving the swim, bike, and run

As triathletes, we’re not building muscle mass for its own sake but rather to enhance our performance across our sport's three disciplines.

According to Metzler, low muscle mass was limiting his performance in the swim, despite countless yards in the pool.

"It wasn't until I got into the gym and started lifting heavy weights," he recalls, "that there was enough power, particularly in my lats and shoulders to pull my body through the water with great force."

This increased strength in turn translated into more speed in the water for Metzler.

Sodaro comes from a running background and has just two seasons of triathlon under her belt. Time in the gym is essential for her to develop the bike strength she needs to compete at the highest level.

"I’m using the weight room to gain power and strength in my glutes, quads, and hamstrings," notes Sodaro. "I’m still developing my biking muscles so I incorporate heavy deadlifts and other explosive movements to increase my power on the bike."

Function over force

Time in the gym for triathletes is not just about building strength, but should also incorporate movements to promote improved mobility, stability, and flexibility, often described as functional movement or functional strength.

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Pro tip

Mobility:the degree to which a joint is allowed to move before being restricted by surrounding tissue

Stability: the ability of the body to maintain postural control and support joints during movement

Flexibility: the ability of the human movement system to have optimum range of motion and neuromuscular control throughout that range of motion

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Metzler includes functional strength exercises in his program and explains the focus in the following way: "exercises that promote functional movement allow me to swim, bike and run as efficiently as possible without injury." This functional work includes exercises that activate his muscles before the heavy lifting. "Find an exercise to get your muscle to fire," he notes, "since a strong muscle doesn’t do very much if it it’s not turned on."

While Sodaro hits the gym a couple of times each week for what she calls "heavy lifting," she has developed a routine of core and injury prevention exercises that she completes daily and will do pretty much anywhere, even at the airport, much to her husband’s embarrassment.

Many of Kessler's strength moves are executed on a BOSU ball in order to challenge her balance: "it forces you to activate most of your muscles on both sides while honing in on certain and specific exercises," she says. She also cites her strength protocol as a factor that has helped keep her mostly injury-free in a career that has included 60-plus IRONMAN races. "I firmly believe that as long as you are doing the exercises correctly in terms of form and with the appropriate weight, strength work can only help versus hurt you."

Resilience is bliss

Success over the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 distance requires muscular endurance, or the ability of your muscles to sustain repeated contractions for an extended period of time. "People often forget that long-course racing is a fatigue-resistant sport," reminds Metzler. "Part of the goal is to stay as strong as possible for as long as possible," he adds—a goal that a good strength program supports.

Kessler also uses strength sessions to help build resilience. "My strength routine includes some higher intensity interval training where there isn’t much rest between sets," she explains. This is by design—she uses the sessions to build the stamina she requires to excel on course.

In the age-group ranks

Squeezing strength training into an already busy schedule may feel daunting to you but it may be less of a time commitment that you think.

"Aim to do three to four exercises really well a couple of times a week," recommends Sodaro, acknowledging that age-groupers may not have time to devote an hour to the weight room.

Metzler agrees and suggests that 10 minutes a day, three times a week might be a better option than one 30-minute session. When coaching his time-crunched age-group athletes, he focuses on hamstring, glute, and overall posterior chain activation while also paying attention to the core." (Think back of the body, supported by the core.)

If you’re not as familiar with strength training, Kessler suggests working with a coach, teaming up with a friend, or even joining a circuit class where you'll be motivated by people in the group and have a professional monitoring your form.

Jordan Blanco is a multiple-time IRONMAN World Championship finisher, IRONMAN certified coach and founder of Avid Endurance. She lives in San Francisco, California.